2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[IdahoBert]

No Thanksgiving Miracle… 😫 No Black Friday Miracle…😫 Maybe there will be a Cyber Monday Miracle?😃

[papalawrence]

I hope Harris doesn't wait too long to lock up Finnegan 

[chasfh]

34 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

East division, but this is the first time I've heard them refered to as east coast like Boston, New York, Philadelphia.  Toronto has a large market which makes it easier for them to have a big budget.   It's also a nice city, but I don't think players go there because it's on the east coast.   I think Cease went there because they overpaid.  I was hoping the Tigers would get him, but I suspect nobody else offered him 7 years.  

 

They're an Eastern team. So are the Orioles.

[TcFlint]

I do not think the Tigers were expecting both Flaherty and Torres to be back.  That is $42.5 million they thought they could spend in free agency or for Skubal.  Besides a reliever or two, I highly doubt that Illitch  and Harris will do anything with the offense to improve our chances, meaning we will continue to fight for a wildcard spot, be eliminated, then lose Skubal after 1 more season for basically nothing.

Edited Saturday at 10:25 PM by TcFlint

[Tiger337]

24 minutes ago, chasfh said:

They're an Eastern team. So are the Orioles.

Baltimore is on the east coast.  Toronto is not.  

[TcFlint]

Illitch and Harris are so cheap Hensley  signed with the Orioles?  Tigers blew their load on Torres and Flaherty.  He would have helped our bullpen, but will now help the Orioles.

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, Tiger337 said:

Baltimore is on the east coast.  Toronto is not.  

Toronto is South Coast (if you are in Canada that is)

[chasfh]

3 hours ago, TcFlint said:

Illitch and Harris are so cheap Hensley  signed with the Orioles?  Tigers blew their load on Torres and Flaherty.  He would have helped our bullpen, but will now help the Orioles.

It’s going to be so entertaining seeing people roast Scott Harris any time any free agent signs with any other team. Also, any time any trade involving a major league player not coming to the Tigers occurs. 

[chasfh]

3 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

Baltimore is on the east coast.  Toronto is not.  

Toronto qualifies as an eastern team. 

[chasfh]

3 hours ago, TcFlint said:

I do not think the Tigers were expecting both Flaherty and Torres to be back.  That is $42.5 million they thought they could spend in free agency or for Skubal.  Besides a reliever or two, I highly doubt that Illitch  and Harris will do anything with the offense to improve our chances, meaning we will continue to fight for a wildcard spot, be eliminated, then lose Skubal after 1 more season for basically nothing.

I highly doubt the Tigers were hoping Torres would turn down the qualifying offer we made him. Also, that a reliable starting pitching exercised his option to stay here. 

[Tiger337]

Just now, chasfh said:

It’s going to be so entertaining seeing people roast Scott Harris any time any free agent signs with any other team. Also, any time any trade involving a major league player not coming to the Tigers occurs. 

Until he makes a big move at some point, he is going to get criticized.  If all he does is re-sign free agents and they miss the playoffs next year or even if they make the playoffs and don't go far, he is going to be roasted.  Fans expect contenders to make bold moves during the off-season and/or at the deadline.  Fair or not, that is the same thing with any fanbase.  This is not unique to the Tigers or Harris.     

[Tiger337]

7 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Toronto qualifies as an eastern team. 

8 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Toronto qualifies as an eastern team. 

Well they are in the East division, so they qualify on that count.  

[Tiger337]

10 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Toronto qualifies as an eastern team. 

Yes, they are in the East Division, so they do qualify as an Eastern team on that account.  I was referring to your original post about East Coast Teams always winning.  

[chasfh]

5 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Yes, they are in the East Division, so they do qualify as an Eastern team on that account.  I was referring to your original post about East Coast Teams always winning.  

Technical geography notwithstanding, Toronto qualifies. 

[Tiger337]

26 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Technical geography notwithstanding, Toronto qualifies. 

In what way?  As someone who lives firmly in the East, I am sincerly curious why you classify them as Eastern so definitively if it's not just division you are talking about.  I consider Montreal and Quebec to be east and Toronto to be east/central.  I think of Toronto as geogrphically more similar to Detroit than Boston.  

Edited 23 hours ago by Tiger337

[Tenacious D]

4 hours ago, TcFlint said:

I do not think the Tigers were expecting both Flaherty and Torres to be back.  That is $42.5 million they thought they could spend in free agency or for Skubal.  Besides a reliever or two, I highly doubt that Illitch  and Harris will do anything with the offense to improve our chances, meaning we will continue to fight for a wildcard spot, be eliminated, then lose Skubal after 1 more season for basically nothing.

Flaherty and Torres are both on one year deals—no bearing on signing Skubal after this season.  I doubt it will get in the way of signing another starting pitcher and bullpen help.

[Motor City Sonics]

I don't think it's a Harris or Yzerman thing.  I think it's Illtich telling them they can't spend.        That's easier to accept than both GMs just agreeing to always sit this one out. 

[Cruzer1]

46 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

I don't think it's a Harris or Yzerman thing.  I think it's Illtich telling them they can't spend.        That's easier to accept than both GMs just agreeing to always sit this one out. 

Is spending the best way to accumulate talent and build a team? I don't think so.

[Tenacious D]

54 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

I don't think it's a Harris or Yzerman thing.  I think it's Illtich telling them they can't spend.        That's easier to accept than both GMs just agreeing to always sit this one out. 

No proof of this. Both teams built through the draft and have spent to supplement with free agents.  NHL is trickier with the salary cap.

[Edman85]

You don't offer the QO without room in the budget if it is taken.

[papalawrence]

Imho Torres is an asset. Same with Flaherty. After 2026 Detroit has Javy and Colt on the books, and more 1 yr deals with the youngsters. Harris can be creative with the flexibility. 

[chasfh]

10 hours ago, Motor City Sonics said:

I don't think it's a Harris or Yzerman thing.  I think it's Illtich telling them they can't spend.        That's easier to accept than both GMs just agreeing to always sit this one out. 

It would seem weird to me for Ilitch to spend the millions he did on infrastructure to become one of the most modern and forward-thinking franchises in preparation for building a perennial winner, and then stop short of spending on players when the time is right so we can put a perennial winner on the field.

I think it’s a combination of several things: we’re not at the point where a top-tier free agent or blockbuster trade ices the cake to make us a World Series favorite; we are still not considered a destination for top-tier free agents; other teams are demanding the very top of our prospects in return for short-term fixes because they don’t trust that anyone below McGonigle/Clark are going to be any good; or maybe they still think they can hold out and get an Avila-level lopsided trade out of this franchise.

[Sports_Freak]

Free Press article this morning talking about how Scott Boras insists Bregman would bring leadership to the Tigers. He's just dying for the Tigers to offer Bregman a contract so he can use that offer to shop him around. Take a hike Boras. 

[Motor City Sonics]

11 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Free Press article this morning talking about how Scott Boras insists Bregman would bring leadership to the Tigers. He's just dying for the Tigers to offer Bregman a contract so he can use that offer to shop him around. Take a hike Boras. 

it was probably written by a bot. 

[Motor City Sonics]

10 hours ago, Tenacious D said:

No proof of this. Both teams built through the draft and have spent to supplement with free agents.  NHL is trickier with the salary cap.

At least Harris has made the playoffs.  Not like Yzerman - in a league where HALF the teams make the playoffs.  Still hasn't done it and likely won't this year.